wickersham and elisha rouse



WICKERsMlwv L .nousrL `Car Coupling.

Patented April 2l, 18.68.

@uiten tetes igen-ut @fitta Letters Patent No. 77,150, dated April 21, 1868.

Inrnovnn cAn-ooUPLIN'e.

Ctlgt rlptale maar tu in tipa ttttert atmt mit mating" met nf tip una.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONGERN: l

Be it known that we, W. F. WIeKnnsnAM and ELISHA Rous'u, ot Springfield, in the county of Sangamon, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Oar-Coupling; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. i

This inventiourelates to a new and improved method ofconstructing the coupling of railway-cars, whereby the same are morecertain in their operation, and cars are coupled more quickly, and without danger.

It consists in a. gate, pivoted within the buier by a pivot passing through a slot in the saine, whereby the same is both raised and swung backward upon the introduction of the link into the buffer, the said gate dropping behind a shoulder near the end of the link.

It consists-also in the rod passing' through the butter, and through a slot in said link, said rod being pron vided with an arm, which, resting upon said gate, serves to make the coupling more secure.

In the accompanying plate of drawings- Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of' my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the link.

Figure 3 is a side view of the pin or rod. l

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A are the buiers. B is the link. C is the gate. D is the rod or pin. a is an arm on the same. a"V is the pivot on which the gate C moves. e is a cord attached to the gate. A

The buers A are made of the same material, and in the same general form as the buffers now commonly in use,`having a mouth with all the sides inclined inwards, so as -to receive and'direet the link B, as shown in the drawing, ig. 1.

Through the upper and lower parts of each of the buffers A, at a short distance from the mouth of the same, or at about'the distance therefrom of the pin now commonly in'use, are square holes, to receive the pin or rod D, as shown, and so as that saidrod D will standv in a vertical position, se as to pass through the slotlink B, as shown. The rod D may be made'ot` iron, or other suitable material, of such length as to reach the top of the car, and so that the same may, at any time, be quickly Withdrawn. The rod D is made square in form, so as to t the square holes in the bu'er A, and/so as that said rod D will not turn in said holes, and is provided, on thefback side of the same, with a metallic arm, a, of sufficient length to extend back, so as to rest uppn the top of the gate C, so as to stop said rod from falling through the buffer A, and at the same time, by the weight of said rod D, prevent the gate C from lifting up. The arm a is either a part of said rod-D, or is rigidly secured thereto in such position as toallow the rod D to extend entirely through both of the buffers A,

as shown.

Back Vot' the rod D, and through a mortise or slot in the upper part of the buii'er A, is pivoted the gate 0,'

The gate C is a solid iron block, rectangular in form, of any convenient size, so as to give the necessary strength and weight, as of the length of about three` and one-half inches, and of the width of about two and one-half inches, and of the thickness of about two'inches. I

Said gate C is provided with and entirely through the same, near the top, with a slot, to receive the pivot or pin a', as shown, the said slot being of sutlicient length, so as to allow of the gate C being raised, so as to allow the link to slip out when necessary, for the uncoupling ofthe cars, a cord, e, being attached to the upper part of the gate C, by means of which the same is raised when necessary.

The link` B is madeV of iron, and is provided with a slot, to receive .the rod D, and allow of sufficient play upon the same.

Said 4link is rounded 01T at each end, so as to allow the same to enter the mouth of the buil'er A, and is provided with an upward projection on each end, so as to form shoulders behind which to receive the gate C, as shown, the distance between either end of the said slot and the shoulder on the same end of the link B being exactly the same as the distance from the back side of the rod D to the back side -of' the gate C, as shown, so

that thedraught will be upon both the rod D andutbe gate C. i

The operation is readily seen, there being a. buffer, with gate and rod, upon eac'h end of every car, the link being one for each pair of buers, and, by making the link suciently narrow, said link will, when turned upon its edge, and the rod D is removed, slip out from the buer, and the cars will be disconnected--an important feature when, by any accident, a forward car isthrown from the track, and tipped over. l

We claim as'new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of the rod or pin'D, gate C, link B, buffer A, pivot a', and arm a, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

W. F. WICKERSHAM, ELISHA ROUSH Witnesses:

WM. H. WIGKERSHAM, L.`M. PHILLIPS. 

